1. Field of Invention
The invention relates, generally, to the field of lighting and signaling for a vehicle (notably, an automobile vehicle) and more particularly, to a device for signaling lights of the vehicle and comprising a screen made of transparent material into which a light emitted by at least one LED is scattered combined with at least one favored region of the transparent material.
2. Description of Related Art
Regulations in force impose, depending on the types of vehicles, various illuminating or signaling lights. The trend is then to group these lights as far as possible into assemblies volume of which is an important parameter. Furthermore, the performance and uniformity of illumination of the individual lights thus grouped are major issues.
In the prior art, auxiliary transparent screens are already known in which the light emitted by an auxiliary light source can propagate. These screens are designed to be fitted to a light (notably, a rear light) of an automobile vehicle. Local discontinuities provided in the material of the screen form scattering centers for the light out of these screens (see French Patent Publication 2 868 506).
In German Patent Application DE 101 01 795, indicator lights (notably, front indicator lights) are described for automobile vehicles in which an auxiliary light source for a position light illuminates an element disposed in a transverse manner in the space between the main light and front lens and produces through the latter an illumination in the same direction as that of the main light.
In French Patent Application 01 00048 (published under 2 819 040), an optical or stylistic component is described for the lighting or signaling in automobile vehicles. This component is made of a transparent material within which scattering centers for light are situated only at predetermined places for scattering the light emitted by a source associated with the lighting or signaling device in question. This component can form the lens of an automobile-vehicle headlamp or an insert placed within such a headlamp.
In German Patent Application DE 103 11 317, a lighting device is described for a vehicle comprising a light guide including scattering structures essentially situated at the focal points of reflecting surfaces that, therefore, allow a uniform illumination to be scattered.
Thus, there is a need in the related art for an original device or element for the lighting and/or signaling (notably, a side light) in automobile vehicles. More specifically, there is a need in the related art for such a device that alms to overcome the various respective drawbacks of the systems of signaling lights of the prior art. There is a need in the related art for such a device that also has a faster switch-on, reduced size, and lower contribution to “CO2” emissions than the conventional signaling devices. There is a need in the related art for such a device that also allows stylistic effects to be added to the signaling lights on vehicles.